Hey guys, just need some help with work flow. My set up for mixing is Daw -> Lynx Aurora 16 -> Summing Mixer -> Aurora -> DAW, so far I have been monitoring straight from the summing mixer but want to monitor post the trim function on the Aurora. Have been have some problems running the mix post summing mixer from the aurora into the external source on the summing mixer via channels 15/16 on the aurora. I just get a crazy phasy mix, anyone have an idea how and where to route post limiter on the aurora?

Hey just figured it out, I had to pull 23-24 of the mix bus on the cue section.... grrrr. Hey do you know if the trim on the aurora is post output stage? i.e. if I'm mixing without going through the DAW again just straight out of the aurora is that a straight path or with the trim in line?

yeah thats it, I want to monitor through the aurora without hitting the DAW so without converting back to digital again and wonder if that process goes through the trim, but by what you say it does yeah? If so why should you bother monitoring through the DAW? BTW are you in Tassie yeah?

I wanted to record the result of the summing mixer but monitor at a different stage ie before it gets recorded again. So direct monitoring from the lynx interface mixer i.e. from input directly to output without A-D and was wondering if in that chain the trim is present.

hi zarvanto be honest it sounds like you are over thinking/ not doing this the right way..you seem to be wanting to do a very specific/ not standard thing - but given that you have posted in the "gotta start somewhere" forum im wondering if you are mis-interpreting the way you could do this simpler/ better and if there really is a need to do what are asking?not meaning to talk you down here, just questioning what your goal is, so that everyone here (myself included - with a lot of lynxs) can assist.

Zarven Kara wrote:yes the two actually sound quite different so probably best to go with the DAW monitoring. What was the theory behind the variable trim option anyway? Just for working with a tape or something?

You should be using the trims to calibrate the level of your system. It is all about aligning headroom between analogue and digital.

Within a DAW and other digital systems you largely rely on dB Full Scale (or dBFS) to measure sample peaks. You clip these systems at 0dBFS.

Analogue systems use dBu, which is an average decibel measurement of voltage. Analogue equipment generally clips somewhere between +18dBu & +28dBu depending on the piece of equipment in question. +4dBu = 1.228 volts RMS (often rounded to 1.23 volts).

VU is Volume Units... what a VU meter measures. 0VU = +4dBu.

If you were to calibrate your system so that a -18dBFS signal in your DAW = 0VU = +4dBu, it means that when you hit clipping in your DAW at 0dBFS, you would also get incredibly close to clipping your analogue chain as well. If -18dbFS = +4dBu, then 0dBFS = +22dBu.

The only reason I would monitor through your aurora is if you are recording to your DAW. You would essentially be listening to the two-track return.

Hey thanks guys, starting to get my head around this now. Have been now monitoring through the DAW and not the lynx mixer which helps a lot. I bought my aurora second hand so would like to find out what the levels have been calibrated at, any idea how to do this and also to change it?

Send a few test tones either out thru your DAW, console (oscillator section if it has it) or some device that can generate a constant line level that you can meter and back in via your dsub line ins on your aurora. Meter what the input values are via the lynx mixer (new software is actually harder to read the fader values than the older update...annoying) making sure that each send is exactly the same that way if there are discrepancies between levels, you can adjust your trims accordingly. If you want to get real fancy check what levels different DAWs read your incoming signal too. You'll be suprised at the clipping levels some read at compared to others.

The VT option on the Auroras is bloody handy if you've got another 3rd party converter or for instance, if your 2nd or 3rd Lynx is a direct tape buss send that you want to hit it a little harder or on the way back.

We monitor via our DAW from outputs 31/32 of our lynxs which all appear on our patchbay, 31/32 is then hardwired to our monitor controller but also paralleled to a headphone amp & a hifi system for referencing. Never had an issue and if there has been one it's either been human error with the front panel selections or firmware mismatch from LT cards to different auroras not playing nice.